Growing up in the Queen City of the Plains,  I've seen the cliff divers at Casa Bonita, visited the Denver Mint when I was in grade school,  walked the Zoo in all seasons, and seen the exhibits at the Natural History Denver Museum of Nature and Science. But Denver has always been Broncos Country, and so it wasn't until this past Memorial Day weekend that I really took a peak into the heart and soul of the city by embarking on a 75-minute walking tour of INVESCO Field at Mile High. Whatever your feelings on the controversial naming of the Broncos new stadium, it is home field for the orange and blue, and poking around its hallowed halls is a pretty fun way to spend an afternoon.

We started in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame - wandering around the displays until the tour started. 2009 inductees include Rod Smith and Sonny Lubick (Go Rammies!).

(updated with more info on cheerleader compensation below)

The Basics

INVESCO Field at Mile High opened in 2001 and cost over $364 million to construct. With a capacity of 76,125, it only has 2 more seats than the original Mile High Stadium. So why bother? Comfort and convenience.

The original Mile High Stadium (known as Bears Stadium until 1968 and originally home to a minor league baseball team of the same name) opened in 1948. Constructed over a former landfill that was purchased from the city by the developer for a dollar, the stadium originally only had a capacity of about 17,000. Over the decades the seating capacity was expanded until Mile High's official maximum capacity was reached in the 1980's. Because of it's age and rather ad hoc expansion over the decades, Mile High was hopelessly out-of-date with not enough bathrooms (especially women's) or beer taps to comfortably serve all those thousands of fans.

The location of the original Mile High is now a parking lot for INVESCO Field.

A lot has been said about the loss of that famous Mile High noise and thunder, with debate about the cause. Is it our mediocre play the last few years that has dampened our spirits, or is it the construction of the new stadium? Pat Bowlen was very conscious of the deadening effect of concrete on sound, so hollow steel boxes were installed under the seats of two of the three tiers in INVESCO to help create that thunder during games. It is never going to be as noisy as the old Mile High. But from my experience at the San Diego (Hochuli) game last year the stadium shook! It was unbelievable the noise and energy - and that was experienced at the very top of section 539. Later, with our atrocious play against the Raiders in November...you could have blamed the quiet in the stands on the concrete, but you would be lying to yourself.

The Suites/Clubs

One of the other criticisms leveled at INVESCO is that it was merely an opportunity to expand on the elite level suite areas of the stadium - a move to cater more toward the champagne corporate crowd than the fans in the south stands. Whether this is true or no I cannot say - but I will say that INVESCO's suites are many, with dizzying prices to match. Below is the interior of United Airlines corporate suite, which must be leased for 3 years at a price tag of $425,000.

This does not include food or drinks, which cannot be brought in from outside, and must be purchased through one of the two INVESCO catering providers. So your executive friend from United let's you use the suite for one of the games. You need a snack. What are your options? Let's look at a sampling of the menu.

Honey Roasted Peanuts......................$29/bowl
Fresh Popped Popcorn........................$30/bowl
Potato Chips and Dips.........................$65/bowl
Vienna All-Beef Brats (1 dozen)..........$85
Cheese Pizza.........................................$40
Coke........................................................$28/12pk
Bacardi...................................................$52/1 liter bottle
Coors Light............................................$97/24pk
Fat Tire....................................................$105/24pk

And don't forget, all orders are subject to a 20% Administration Service Charge and applicable sales tax....No thanks. I think I'll enjoy the game with the rest of the peasantry.

In these lean times, a lot of corporations are finding the price of an entire suite for multiple years a bit steep. Some of these executives are starting to think there are cheaper ways to entertain clients, and would rather just rent a seat for themselves and their spouse for the games. These folks can get a two-year lease on individual seats ($1,000 a game -which includes food and beverages!) in the 5280 room - so named because the plush, brown leather seats right up against the window are exactly 5,280 feet above sea level. The view looks like this:

Fun Fact: Those rows of orange seats around the field are removable.  Pat Bowlen, an ardent soccer fan, has been lobbying to host a World Cup playoff match here in INVESCO and wanted to make sure the field could be expandable if needed (talk about far-seeing). It turns out our dimensions are fine for Cup soccer, and INVESCO will be hosting FIFA World Cup matches in 2018. You'll note that the field is missing the gridiron. The Outlaws (Denver's outdoor lacrosse team also owned by Pat Bowlen) are in season; the brown spots are where the goalies stand.

Here is another shot of the 5280 room.

So you don't want to commit to a multi-year lease - but you want the suite experience just once during a game. Never fear. You and 13 friends can rent a party suite for a single game for $9,000. That works out to about $643 per person....this does not include any food or beverages. Let me know how that is.

We didn't get to see Mr. Bowlen's personal suite (#200), but we were told it has a lot of Italian furnishings, white marble, and an elevator that takes him directly down to the field.

One Level 3 of the stadium, on both the east and west sides, are two identical club lounges. These areas are one of the only places that serve hard liquor in the stadium. Designed with the feel of a mountain lodge, the lounges can be rented out for corporate parties, school proms, and even wedding receptions. When the weather turns cold, the fireplaces are lit, and the Broncos logo in each glows orange. Sweet.

Pat Bowlen is the team's biggest fan, and he provides a place for all Broncos alumni to hang out during games. If you played for the team at least a year, you are invited to join other alumni in the Budweiser Champions Club, where Pat provides (out of his own pocket) beer and a $10,000 spread. John Elway is often seen in the Club, and even short-timers like Bradley Van Pelt can (and do) come and enjoy the game in this exclusive lounge.

The MSM

The media also have their special digs at INVESCO field. The broadcast network's room is situated next to the radio (English and Spanish) broadcast rooms, next to the coaches room. Whichever network is broadcasting the game gets a room that is stripped bare and downright ghetto - and they wouldn't have it any other way since they bring in all their own equipment and just need a place to plug in. Cameras, lights, decor, mics, green screen - all imported and taken away after wrap. During the game, the windows directly in front of the announcers are always left open - so when you see them wrapped and shivering in the cold, it's real. Below is a patch panel to all the stadium audio feeds (crowd noise, field judge, home and visiting interview, etc...).

Then there is the PRESS BOX: a stretch of openly connected spaces that stretch along the west side above section 306 all the way to 321. They have room for local papers (The Denver Post now gets its own section since RMN folded), visiting reporters from the away team's hometown, all those writers from the online realm of the MSM, even a section for the spouses of the press. There is a media dining room of sorts adjacent to the work area where the press are given a meal ticket to an elaborate four to five course meal offered throughout the game. However, no alcohol is served, no team colors worn, and no celebrating in the box allowed; it is supposed to be a professional environment, after all. Below is a photo of the Denver Posts section of the Press Box; Woody Paige sits in the chair in the far end (and may or may not bring a flask with him).

The Beer

Speaking of alcohol, with Denver being beer country and Broncos country, it's no wonder that the new stadium would install four times as many taps as were in the old Mile High. We love our brew. INVESCO offers a selection of Colorado craft beers (from brewers like New Belgium and Great Divide), as well as a decent collection of domestics and imports. But that nectar of the gods flows most freely from the network of over 500 taps that serve Budweiser (the most popular choice - boo!), Coors, and Miller. About $1million worth of beer is sold every game, making us third in beer sales for NFL stadiums. The Washington Redskins top the list, but their FedEx stadium also holds about 10,000 more patrons. 

Here is how the beer tap system works. Down on the bottom level of the stadium are large refrigerated lockers that belong to Budweiser, Miller, and Coors, respectively. Before a game, they hook up kegs of their brew to a network of tubes and taps that pump the beer to the many concession stands and taps throughout the stadium. The way it is designed there is never an interruption in the flow because...something something...okay... I can't tell you further about the engineering, because I was too cold in the locker and too in awe from the whole infrastructure to keep my focus on the little details. Just know that it's awesome. Below is a photo of part of Miller's beer locker.

This is a snapshot of part of the ceiling of the bottom level; right alongside the electrical wires and natural gas pipes are the beer lines. It is a thing of beauty.

At the end of the day, by law all the beer remaining in all those many lines must be thrown out; an amount that averages about 40 kegs. This explains why only the really big breweries could afford to hook into the tap system of the stadium. A craft or microbrewery wouldn't be able to brew enough to just toss that much away on a weekly basis.

The Guest Accommodations

Sadly, the Broncos locker room was not part of the tour. I guess some things are just too sacred to let just anyone see first hand...unless you are as awesome as Guru - in which case you have not only visited, but already posted photos a couple years ago. I did get to go poke around the visitors locker room. While a bit sterile and uninspiring (which was probably the point), it was voted the cleanest in the NFL. 

When Invesco was being constructed, the Broncos graciously donated their old hot/cold water jacuzzi to the visiting team's training room. This means our players have to use something bigger and state-of-the-art in their own training room, leaving this rich slice of history and character for our guests to enjoy.

I'm actually not sure how some of these modern linemen even fit into those old tubs. Can you imagine DT Ted Washington trying to take a soak in this?

There used to be a sign that was posted in the visitor's locker room that said "Welcome to INVESCO Field at Mile High: 5280 ft above sea level." But the teams kept taking the sign down. So they painted it on the wall right across from the doors. If you are a visiting team, this is what you see right before you turn the corner to run onto the field.

(that's me and Disco_Stu in front of the most photographed wall in the stadium)

The Field

Speaking of the field...

An idea Pat Bowlen brought back from Europe's soccer fields is DD GrassMaster technology. He rented this equipment from Holland that can best be described as a giant sewing machine. Working 24 hours a day for three weeks, the crew installed a network of synthetic fibers (cluster of four strands about 10" deep each puncture), spaced less than an inch apart over the entire field. When the field was seeded with several different Kentucky Bluegrasses, the synthetic fiber network acts as an anchor for the grassroots to entwine around, making the turf more durable against the cleats of heavy football players. Since it's successful installation at Invesco Field, three other NFL teams have also converted their turf with this technology: the Eagles, the Steelers, and the Packers.

The Broncos sideline

Underneath all that green (which must be mowed and maintained year-round) is a drainage and heating system. The field is built to absorb 5" of rainfall an hour without any standing water. Because of this, the surface is perfectly flat, as opposed to other fields that have a slight curve to allow drainage. There is also a network of miles of subterranean piping that carries warm water (68-70 degrees) during the winter to heat the field, tricking the grass into perpetual summer green.

Fun Fact: Seeing the sidelines reminds me of those lovely ladies who get out there to cheer the team on every home game: The Broncos Cheerleaders. One of the most surprising (and shocking) things I learned about on this tour was the salary these ladies make for all their time and hard work: $150 and two tickets each game. Yeah, I know. Considering the evenings and weekends spent not only rehearsing and performing, but also in the charity work the group is involved in, I have a whole new level of respect for them. (Guru posted an interview with a cheerleader a couple years ago you should all go read). These ladies are dedicated and amazing, and should be supported and admired for the hard-working members of the Broncos family they are!

EDIT: I started thinking that a class-act owner like Bowlen wouldn't just being underpaying the cheerleaders for kicks. It must be league average. I was wrong. Bowlen actually pays our cheerleaders VERY WELL compared to the rest of the league. Here is the pay per home game for the following teams:

Cowboys - $50
Rams - $50
Chargers - $60

Dancecheer even states that average pay is $15-$50 per game. It seems most cheerleader compensation comes from paid appearances, shows, functions, and modeling such as cheerleader calendars. So...just want to clarify that Pat Bowlen pays our cheerleaders three times the league average. The man is the best owner in the NFL!

Back to the field.
The Broncos Ring of Fan was instigated by Pat Bowlen in 1984 and brought over to INVESCO Field from Mile High. The Ring has 21 names (soon 22 when Sharpe is inducted on Sept 20th at our home opener this year). Each player honored must have been retired a minimum of five years before being eligible, with the exception of THE GREATEST EVER, who was inducted pretty much five seconds after he retired.

Fun Fact: The Broncos logo in the seats belong to season ticket holders, who are to wear the color corresponding with their seat color. The orange eye of the horse was in the most demand and had to be determined by a competitive drawing. The man who won the seat goes all out and wears an orange wig and paints his face orange and blue (at least according to our tour guide).

The Horses

The logo emblazoned into the upper deck seats isn't the only horse in the stadium. The most famous (as an icon of Denver itself) is the white stallion who sits atop the scoreboard. The 27-foot tall steel and fiberglass "Bucky Bronco" (named by a fan contest held by a radio station in 1975) was modeled after Roy Rogers' horse, Trigger. Fourth of July fireworks last year set Bucky on fire; his tail and backside were black for a week.

The other white stallion associated with INVESCO and the Broncos is Thunder II, the mascot. Thunder II is the offspring of Thunder, the Arabian stallion who celebrated our touchdowns for ten seasons, including our two Super Bowl wins.The horse stall where Thunder II stays during the games is pictured below.

Then there is the grand sculpture at the entrance of INVESCO Field. A gift from the Bowlen family to the people of Colorado (our tax money did build that stadium, after all), Pat commissioned it from Italian sculptor Sergio Benvenuti. The piece features seven horses (Pat's favorite number) running along an alpine river. Bowlen wanted it to reflect, among other things, strength, agility, speed, and  teamwork. The water feature is slightly heated so that in the colder months the steam rising out surrounds the five stallions, mare and colt.

If you are standing directly in front of this name plaque, and you happen to look up....

...AAAAGH! Oh hey...maybe I should make this my new profile pic. :-)

Speaking of the stadium's art...on the west side of INVESCO is something known as Equipment Field, an area along the plaza where seven scultures (five of marble, two of aluminum) depict giant pieces of equipment are arranges as if strewn about after a game. The pieces show a facemask, shoulderpads, cleats, neck brace, kicking stand, mouthguard, and chinstrap.

Fun Fact: when the team of artists were creating these equipment scupltures, they asked which of the Broncos had the nicest teeth. The team chose Terrell Davis. So impressions of TD's teeth were taken and used for the creation of the the mouthguard.

MHR...I give you...TD's teeth impressions:

This concludes our tour. Thanks for coming with me on this long journey. Hope it was enlightening to those who've never been able to make the trip out to the stadium the Broncos call home.

Go Broncos!

PROTECT THIS HOUSE!